We should probably start by discussing the notable absentee from Tuesday’s World Cup last-16 game. Specifically, Switzerland. Granted, the Swiss would make their belated entrance in the second half, a cameo appearance to console the thousands of fans who had come to support them. But the result was no longer in doubt, and ultimately their presence was largely inconsequential. A reminder, if any were needed, that in this rarefied air those who are not prepared to put in a defensive shift quickly dissolve into irrelevance.
But of course there was a genuine star here too, and he was playing up front for Portugal. Gonçalo Ramos is 21 years old, comes from the Algarve and had not played international football until last month. He left Lusail with his life changed forever: a hat-trick and an assist, accomplished with the irrepressible confidence of a young man convinced the stage is his to own.
